[lit-ideas] Re: p.s. Re: Re: Didn't I tell you so?

Thanks for the info -- I'm not sure if I would be able (psychologically) to  
shoot a gun at a person.  You didn't respond to the rubber bullet  notion.  
How would you compare Kray Maga with Karate and Judo?  I took  a look in the 
city phone book under Martial Arts -- the following are  offered:   Taekwo-do, 
Kung Fu, Aikido, Judo, Kanjustsu. Tai Chi and Qi  Gong (I've been wanting to 
learn Tai Chi forever), Fencing, Pilates, Cardo  KickBoxing (no thank you).  No 
mention of Kray Maga.  Columbia has  been a notoriously relatively low-crime 
city for a long time -- pop roughly  80,000, large percentages of Univ. 
students, Profs, Atty's, Docs.  But the  unsavory neighborhoods (where you can 
find 
crack or meth at any corner) have  been expanding at a fair rate.  Missouri has 
the unfortunate distinction of  being the Meth capital of the US.  While the 
city is nothing like KC or St.  Louis in crime level, the crime level has been 
increasing.  A couple cops  have been shot recently, lots of burglaries, some 
kidnappings of young children,  etc.  I STILL wanna move to New Zealand!
 
Julie Krueger

========Original  Message========     Subj: [lit-ideas] Re: p.s. Re: Re: 
Didn't I tell you so?  Date: 5/31/06 12:10:07 A.M. Central Daylight Time  From: 
_carolkir@xxxxxxxxx (mailto:carolkir@xxxxxxxx)   To: _lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
(mailto:lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx)   Sent on:    
re: Krav Maga--the style of martial arts taught to/by the  Israeli police. 
It's not non-violent and it's especially effective for  physically smale 
individuals. Been very popular in California for the past few  years. (Note 
that 
violence has not decreased in this state.)
 
re: "shiv"--prison talk for something like a stiletto knife,  particularly 
when it's retractable. It's usually kept someplace inconspicuous  (an area 
carved out of the heel of a boot, for instance), to use "in  case."
 
re: 12-gauge--small shotgun. Not a handgun. It's small enough  for a petite 
woman to use without dislocating her shoulder (lessons mandatory,  still). 
Packs a wallop, in case it must be used, which is what you'd want if  you're 
using 
a gun at all. Like other shotguns, it makes that indelible  sound when 
cocked. You've heard it on TV and in the movies. 
 
Okay. I'm no expert on this stuff, just a single woman who's  been living in 
lousy parts of inner-cities in California for about 10 years.  Where I now 
live, carjacking (of men as well as women), isn't uncommon  as part of the 
hopped-up-on-drugs teen joy ride. A gun wouldn't help--the  gun's pointed at 
the 
victim's head throughout--except at the very start,  before getting into the 
car. 
But for that, a swift, hard Kravie-style kick,  followed by running to safety 
(get in the car, if that's fastest) works  best. (Need you ask me how I 
know?) 
 
But pepper spray is a joke that backfires on women,  against a motivated 
male, a group, and especially a group on drugs  with weapons--the standard 
routine 
in this town, perhaps in  yours.
 
The gun option is something I'd do, for real, if I  had kids at home, in an 
iffy neighborhood--and if I couldn't move. I'm  afraid there are simply too 
many guns in my area already to risk taking a  stand against them, 
unilaterally. 
("White middle-aged lady shot to death  while proclaiming her stance against 
guns." Nah. Don't think so.) 
 
For the record, I totally agree with Paul's stance. I've just  spent too many 
holidays cowering when these friendly immigrants  randomly and happily  fire 
their guns. It's a tradition. (Seriously!)  Passede too many on-street 
memorials, testaments to people who bit it,  violently, in that place. (I used 
to 
think they were accident victims.  Ha.) 
 
At this point, I'm still in my self-made urban prison.  Rarely go out at 
night--parking lots are preferred areas for  shootings--and since last summer, 
I 
don't walk alone, if I can  possibly help it. And I'm not paranoid in the 
least. If anything, I take too  many risks.
Carol  
   

----- Original Message ----- 
From:  _JimKandJulieB@xxxxxxxx (mailto:JimKandJulieB@xxxxxxx)  
To: _lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx (mailto:lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx)  
Sent: Tuesday, May 30, 2006 7:18 PM
Subject: [lit-ideas] p.s. Re: Re: Didn't  I tell you so?


You didn't answer my questions re.  What is . Kray Maga?   Shiv?  Is a 
12-gauge a pistol or a rifle?
 
Julie Krueger

========Original  Message========     Subj: [lit-ideas] Re: Didn't I tell you 
so?  Date: 5/30/06 9:08:39 P.M. Central Daylight Time  From: 
_carolkir@xxxxxxxxx (mailto:carolkir@xxxxxxxx)   To: _lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
(mailto:lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx)   Sent on:     
>My primary concern right now, though, is that I am temporarily  
>transportationless  and do a great deal of walking.

ck: Try your best to walk only  during the day, and stay on busy streets--one 
with other pedestrians.   Walk quickly and speed up if any cars slow down 
near you. I do suggest  you take a quickie self-defense-for-women class, the 
type 
they give at  YMCAs, as soon as possible. If nothing else, learn how to give 
a quick kick  in the right place. If you're unable to run, consider getting a 
gun for  self-protection on your walks, but only if you're willing to take 
lessons. A  gun toter who can't use a gun properly is no safer than a person 
with 
a  thumb on that dumb mace can.  And no, I don't think mace or pepper  spray 
is worth buying or trying to use. The stuff is worse than  worthless--it's 
false protection, which is harmful.
pax,
xena
 
 
 
 
----- Original Message ----- 
From:  _JimKandJulieB@xxxxxxxx (mailto:JimKandJulieB@xxxxxxx)  
To: _lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx (mailto:lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx)  
Sent: Tuesday, May 30, 2006 6:16  PM
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Didn't I tell  you so?





If it's Krav Maga with a shiv in  your heel when out and a 12-gauge at home
huh?  Kray Maga?  Shiv?  Is a 12-gauge a pistol or a  rifle?
 
I used to have a large very property protective dog - I never bothered  to 
lock my doors.  He bit 3 different people (including myself) and had  to be put 
down.
 
I live across the street from a transitional neighborhood which is  
essentially filled with drugs, alcohol, and guns.  Cops run through  there a 
dozen 
times a day.  On my side of the street are 4 very  respectable middle-class 
homes 
(of which one is mine).  The land across  the street used to be open field I 
rode gottland ponies through.  Then  some shmuck decided to put up dozens of 
the most poorly and cheaply built  apartments possible.   I have deadbolts on 
my 
doors, but the  window locks are not very secure -- can be pushed with a 
stick.  I've  had bikes and trash cans stolen from my driveway right up against 
the garage  door.  No one has attempted to break in yet.  But....
 
My primary concern right now, though, is that I am temporarily  
transportationless  and do a great deal of walking.  Past some not  too great 
neighborhoods.  Hence my thought of portable mace or pepper  spray.  How hard 
can it be to 
point the nozzle in the right  direction?   And how far away does one have to 
be for it to take  effect, giving the macer or pepper-sprayer time to run to a 
place of  safety?  I've also thought about guns that shoot rubber bullets.
 
Julie Krueger
w/ bigger problems than self-protection at the  moment


========Original  Message========     Subj: [lit-ideas] Re: Didn't I tell you 
so?  Date: 5/30/06 8:06:26 P.M. Central Daylight Time  From: 
_carolkir@xxxxxxxxx (mailto:carolkir@xxxxxxxx)   To: _lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
(mailto:lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx)   Sent on:     
Julie wrote:
 >I prefer either mace or pepper spray, depending on which does  least 
lasting >damage (something I keep putting off investigating).

ck: Don't use either of these unless you're pretty adept  at some form of the 
martial arts.  You have to get close to your  attacker for the sprays to be 
helpful, and if you're that close, you're in  serious jeopardy--in a position 
of self-defense, you vs. your  attacker. Disabling the attacker is your best 
bet. Or, if  you're a very fast runner, that's an option.
 
 Holding a can of mace (illegal most places; it's  really pepper spray they 
talk about) may make you feel more protected  than you actually are. People who 
don't know self-defense tactics  often mistakenly point the nozzle at 
themselves. (Same as with  guns.)  
 
I think a woman needs to figure out what she feels  comfortable with, 
self-defensively, and follow through with the plan. If  it's Krav Maga with a 
shiv in 
your heel when out and a 12-gauge at home,  that's what it's gotta be. 
Personally, I don't want guns in my house, but  I'm now living in such a 
dangerous 
area (the neighborhood and the town)  that I'm sick of it all. 
 
Unfortunately, loads of the gunshot deaths in these  parts are drive-by 
shootings (not necessarily gang-on-gang!), and  stupid scattershot gunplay, for 
the 
hell of it. Carjackings aren't  uncommon, though, but by the time you reach 
for a gun in your glove  compartment, it's all over, one way or another. 
 
Btw, can anyone here stand watching those CSI shows on  TV? Isn't there 
enough violence on the news to satisfy even the hungriest  bloodthirsty person? 
Or 
are these TV shows (and news) feeding the hunger,  as that experiment implied.
 
Carol

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